If we were still out on the streets we would probably be sick already, and now with people at the encampments starting to get Rona, we need to be inside these hotels so we don’t die. I'm 75 years old and get chronic pneumonia since I've been homeless for the past 4 years. If I got Rona I don’t think I would survive. Having a bed, a shower, going to the bathroom like a human when I need to, having water all the time, having a kitchen to cook and store food--these are things being in a hotel room has changed for me from being in the streets.

Patricia, 48 and her 15 years old daughter

I’m so grateful that we are not on the streets. We have been on the streets so long since my husband died. But now we are warm, we can take showers every day and wash our hands. It’s better than living in our car. And we can have food we normally can’t keep in our car - fresh veggies, meat, milk. We have food we can cook! I hope that the fundraising works so we can stay off the streets.

Daniel Rameriez, 70

I’m so thankful to have a safe place to sleep, to wash up, to cook. I’m rasta so i do my best to live ital despite my circumstances. The streets is not ital but I do my best to maintain. Everyday is warfare on the streets. Being on the streets isn’t safe, and being on the streets during this disease is even more dangerous for us. I’m so thankful to be indoors. I’m so thankful for the safety.

Venessa Trinidad, 25 with 10 month old son

Sheltering in place at the hotel prevents me from going all the way to Dublin to take a shower. Me and the baby have been sleeping better because I’m not always on alert. I can actually sleep all night without waking up at every noise I hear. I feel more safe, so i know my baby feels safe too. Before Corona I was working two jobs - a carwash and childcare. But I stopped working because of the shelter in place. I have no income coming in so even though I wanted to shelter in place in a hotel I couldn't afford it since the quarantine stopped my job and incomes.

Markaya Spikes, 39 with 9 year old daughter

Being in a hotel is providing me with continuous power. I have an endless supply of water which allows me to save money rather than buy 30-40 gallons a week - which I can’t since the shelter in place due to rationing at the stores. I have warmth, space to move. I can store food longer, so I don't have to grocery shop every day which keeps me and my community healthy during the outbreak. I have been able to have a nice rest thru the night. I have peace of mind because I’m not being harassed by police or made a spectacle of by people in the neighborhood who take pictures of my family and harass us, asking us when we are going to move. I am able to take showers and bathe at leisure without having to worry if I have enough water. Staying clean is crucial to not getting Covid19.

Joyous De Asis Miralle, 18:

Having this hotel room has allowed us to wash our hands all day . We can take showers every day and after we do outreach or trash pick up at curbside communities. And we can go to the bathroom when we need to. We are able to keep up on our hygiene which helps prevent Covid19. There is ventilation. In our camper we share a cramped space with little ventilation to take bird baths with baby wipes when we get up in the morning. The bed is comfortable and is big enough for me and my mom unlike our camper where our beds were tiny, and the camper leaked over my bed when it rained. So when it rained we would squish into my mom’s bed and wake up with sore necks. And there is a heater at the hotel so we can stay warm and not be freezing at night. And also my mom won’t let me stay in the camper alone because creeps try to break in, but in the hotel I can be by myself which lets me and my mom have time apart.

Needa Bee, 49:

Being able to shelter in place with other curbside residents has made the work of serving, supporting and empowering our people easier. The sense of community hotel residents are fostering between each other is beautiful. We are able to have medical support, legal support and social workers come to one location to support folks rather than going to multiple communities to meet with folks. And with the stability folks are experiencing in the hotel rooms, and the gratitude they have for the ability to exercise the right to shelter in place, folks are getting active and helping with the Feed The People program. Moving folks into hotels is allowing our people to emerge as leaders and servants of the people.